Cross-posted: 5 Rules for Putting Yourself First

Last week I wrote a blog post on the “5 Rules for Putting Yourself First” for Girls in Tech, an organization focused on the collaboration, promotion, growth and success of women in the technology sector. I’m on the board of directors for the Boston chapter. I figured it was appropriate to cross-post here because this advice can apply to those women who are in their twenties and trying to figure it all out. Jobs, relationships, new apartments or houses, new routines – it can easily get overwhelming. Not sure about you, but I often find myself trying to do as much as possible all the time, and sometimes you just need the reminder to slow down and put yourself first.

I know I’m preaching to the choir when I talk about the wonders of technology. Gadgets, social networks, search engines, software, mobile innovation.. hell—even the remote control on my air conditioner. It’s these technologies we turn to in order to save time and make things quicker and easier. But ironically, it’s the time we save using technology to do more and more. We have gotten so good at multitasking that our lives are becoming more hectic than ever. And the “we” I’m talking about is women.

Where am I going with this? Kim Wroble and Lorian Williams-Willis of Advocate Christ Medical Center in Chicago paint a great picture:

“You are the last to bed at night and the first one up in the morning. You are a mom, wife, sister, friend, playmate, student, cheerleader, career woman, organizer, vacation planner, finance manager … the list goes on and on. While managing all these different roles, who cares for you?”

Economy notwithstanding, it’s important that we stay in tune with our pace to make sure we’re not overextended. We’ve gotten so used to this “make it happen” mentality that we often push our own emotional and mental boundaries to get things done. There are many more incredible technologies awaiting innovation, and as they become available, there will be new chances for us to squeeze more into our schedules. So, let’s keep the mental breakdowns to a minimum, shall we?